After only 2 glasses of wine day, Mandy
was faced with cancer, heart failure,
liver disease
and more
After only 2 pints a day, Mike was faced with
cancer, heart failure, liver disease
and more
Don’t end up like Mandy! Find out everything you need to
know inside about cutting back and still keeping your social life.
www.calltimeondrink.co.uk
Don’t end up like Mike! Find out everything you need to know inside
about cutting back and still keeping your social life.
www.calltimeondrink.co.uk
Leicester City
Leicester City
What can too much alcohol do?
Many people drink alcohol, but
not everyone knows exactly
what it can do to your body and
how little you have to drink on
a regular basis for it to cause
serious health risks.
This leaflet will explain everything
you need to know about drinking
alcohol including healthy drinking
levels, what alcohol does to your
body and how to cut back if you
need to without ruining your
social life.
Contents:
What can too much alcohol do?
How much is too much?
How much do other people drink?
Why should you cut back on the
amount you drink?
How do you go about
cutting back?
Where can you get further help
and support?
If you drink more than the recommended healthy limits, you are at increased
risk of over 60 different medical conditions. Including:
Aggressive, irrational behaviour.
Arguments. Violence. Depression.
Epilepsy.
Alcohol dependence.
Memory loss. Insomnia
Premature aging. Drinkers
nose. Facial deterioration
Cancer of throat and mouth.
Cancer of oesophagus
Frequent colds. Reduced
resistance to infection.
Weakness of heart
muscle. Heart failure.
Anaemia.
Impaired blood clotting.
Breast cancer.
High blood pressure.
Increased risk of
pneumonia
Liver damage.
Liver cirrhosis.
Liver cancer
Fatty liver.
Hepatitis
Trembling hands. Tingling fingers.
Numbness. Painful nerves.
Impaired kidney function.
Urinary infections.
Bleeding. Severe
inflammation of the
stomach.
Ulcer
Impaired sensation leading to falls
Inflammation of the
pancreas.
Numb, tingling toes.
Painful nerves.
In men: Impaired sexual performance.
In women: Risk of giving birth to deformed or
low birth weight babies. Miscarriages.
How much is too much?
...and each of these is more than one unit
Alcohol is measured in units which takes into account the size of
the drink and the strength of the alcohol. Many people wrongly
believe that one unit is the same as one drink.
1 unit is not 1 drink
Each of these is one unit
Pint Lager
Pint Bitter
Pint of strong
beer/lager/cider
500ml can
of lager
750ml bottle of
wine
4% ABV
5% ABV
5.2% ABV
3.8% ABV
13.5% ABV
2.3 units
2.8 units
3 units
1.9 units
10 units
Half pint lager
Small glass of
low ABV wine
25ml single
spirit and mixer
50ml double
Irish cream
liqueur
50ml glass
fortified wine
(e.g. sherry)
175ml glass
of red or white
wine
250ml glass
of red or white
wine
275ml bottle
alco-pop
50ml double
spirit and mixer
4% ABV
9% ABV
40% ABV
20% ABV
20% ABV
13% ABV
13% ABV
5% ABV
40% ABV
2.3 units
3.3 units
1.4 units
2 units
There are different recommended
limits for men and women.
2
l
Women should drink no
more than 2-3 units per
day on a regular basis.
You should also have two drink-free days in the week.
For 3-4 units, men could
drink either
•2 pints of regular beer,
lager or cider
•4 single measures of spirits
•4 single brandies
•1 pint of “strong” premium
beer, lager or cider
•4 very small glasses
of wine
•1 large glass of wine
•1 can of super
strength lager
•2 bottles of alcopops
It might seem like the limits are low and that no-one can
drink that little, but in reality the majority of people do drink
at or below the recommended levels.
What’s everyone else like?
For 2-3 units, women
could drink either
•1 pint of regular beer, lager
or cider
•3 single measures of spirits
•3 single brandies
•1 pint of “strong” premium
beer, lager or cider
•3 very small glasses of
wine
•1 large glass of wine
• 3/4 can of super strength
lager
•2 bottles of alcopops
70%
Recommended limits
60%
50%
% of adult poulation of England
m
Men Should drink no
more than 3-4 units per
day on a regular basis.
How much do other people drink?
40%
Men
Women
More than 3-4 units
per day for men and
2-3 units a day for
women
30%
More than 8 units a
day for men and 6
units for women
20%
10%
0%
Abstainers
Low risk
Increasing risk
Higher risk
Drinking Category
Regularly means drinking every day or
most days of the week.
You should take a break of 48 hours after a heavy
session to let your body recover.
Source: General Household Survey, 2008, Office for National Statistics (ONS)
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How do I go about cutting back
...and keep my social life?
Cutting back on the amount you drink could be easier than you think if
you follow the advice below.
There are many benefits to cutting back on the amount you drink:
Pschological / Social /F inancial
•
•
•
•
Improved mood
Improved relationships
Reduced risks of drink driving
Saving money
Physical
•
•
•
•
•
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•
•
A
H
Sleeping better
More energy
Losing weight
No hangovers
Reduced risk of injury
Improved memory
Better physical shape
Reduced risk of high
blood pressure
• Reduced risk of cancer
• Reduced risk of liver disease
• Reduced risk of brain damage
K
t
• When you do drink, set yourself a limit and stick to it
• Have something to eat before your first drink
• Quench your thirst with non-alcoholic drinks before and in-between
alcoholic drinks
• Stick to single shots of spirits instead of doubles and top up with a
mixer to make it last
• Have a small glass of wine instead of a large one
• Drink spritzers and shandies
• Switch to low alcohol beer/lager/wine
• Avoid drinking in rounds or in large groups
• Pace yourself to the slowest drinker and there will be
fewer rounds in the pub
• If it’s hard to say no when friends are getting a
round in, just have a half or work out other ways of
saying no
• Start drinking later so you drink less over all
• Go out later and leave earlier
• Keep count of how many drinks you have
• Pace yourself
• Take less money out
• Cut out one drinking session per day/week
• Put off your next drink for a few minutes
• Go out with friends who drink less
• Try having a couple of consecutive days in the week
when you only drink soft drinks.
...at home
• Try to use slim glasses at home. We tend to pour a third more drink into
shorter, wider glasses than tall thin ones
• Buy a spirit measure for use at home
• Put in less alcohol and more mixer
• Don’t stock-pile alcohol at home. If there is alcohol in the house you are
more likely to drink it
• Don’t go to the off licence for your cigarettes
• Ask friends not to bring alcohol to your house.
Where to get further help:
Alcohol Advice Centre
Leicestershire Communities
Projects Trust (LCPT)
96 New Walk
Leicester
LE1 7EA
Tel 0116 222 9545
www.lcp-trust.org.uk
Community Alcohol Team
Drury House
50 Leicester Road
Narborough
LE19 2DF
Tel: 0116 225 6350
For dependent drinkers:
This campaign is not aimed at dependent drinkers. However if you or a
family member is alcohol dependent, you can get support from the contacts
listed above. Support for family members of those suffering from alcohol
addiction can be found at:
Try something different!
• Suggest doing something different with your mates instead, that doesn’t
involve alcohol, e.g. go swimming, five a side football, you might find
you also feel fitter and lose weight
• Suggest that your friends cut back as well. Why not give them some
information too. You could support each other by sharing tips and
spurring each other on when you are finding it difficult
• Why not save up for something that you could all do together with the
money you save on alcohol
• Meet up for coffee at one of your houses instead
• When bored or stressed, have a workout instead of drinking
• Avoid going to the pub after work
• Plan activities and tasks at those times you would usually drink.
Links:
Support, information and advice group for significant
others of drug and alcohol users
Email: [email protected]
or call Lindsay on 07843 005553
For more information about this
campaign, tips on cutting back
or to find out where you can get
advice, visit
www.calltimeondrink.co.uk
NHS Leicester City is the operating name of Leicester City Primary Care Trust,
St John’s House, 30 East Street, Leicester, LE1 6NB. Tel: 0116 295 1400.
Email: [email protected] www.leicestercity.nhs.uk